First ever Commission report on implementation of all Macro-regional Strategies

The report provides an assessment of the state of implementation of the current strategies and takes stock of the main results achieved to date. It draws lessons from the experience gained so far and presents a number of recommendations on possible developments of the strategies and their action plans, also in the light of the future cohesion policy.

Clear added value by the Macro-regional Strategies

Overall the implementation of the four EU macro-regional strategies, covering 19 EU Member States and 8 non-EU countries, has generated stronger interest in and awareness of the European territorial cooperation and territorial cohesion and its added value. They have led to increased coordination and strengthened cooperation in certain areas (e.g. navigability, energy, climate change) and between countries concerned, as well as intensified cooperation with non-EU countries, bringing them closer to the EU. Strategies have also contributed to shaping policy, implementation of existing legislation and a deeper dialogue between different actors.

Challenges to overcome

However, the strategies have not shown yet their full potential and certain challenges still need to be overcome. Greater ownership and responsibility need to be retained by Member States who initiated the strategies; effectiveness of governance systems needs to be improved; relevant existing funding sources (EU, regional, national) need to be better coordinated. The report also underlines the importance of administrative resources and capacity to deliver the set objectives.

The report is accompanied by a Commission Staff Working Document which provides more detailed information concerning the state of implementation of each macro-regional strategy, as well as specific recommendations.

EASME call for proposals: Nautical Routes for Europe

The Executive Agency for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises ("EASME") has launched a call for proposals with a view to concluding grant agreements to develop and promote transnational touristic thematic routes and transnational thematic tourism products in the fields of nautical tourism and water sports tourism.

The deadline for the proposals is 15 March 2017.

The action supports the implementation of sea basin strategies and regional approaches, notably in the Atlantic (Action Plan for a Maritime Strategy in the Atlantic Area), the Baltic Sea (EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region), the Adriatic-Ionian Seas (EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region), the Black Sea Synergy and the Mediterranean (BLUEMED).

The Swedish Institute (SI) invites Swedish organisations to submit applications for seed funding under the framework for collaboration in the Baltic Sea region.

The 2016/2017 call for applications is now open and closes 1 February 2017. Applicants can apply for up to SEK 500,000 in funding.

Seed funding is intended to be used to start new collaborations or expand existing ones in Sweden, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Ukraine and Belarus, and in some cases in Moldova and Georgia. Please note that the main applicant must be a Swedish organisation.

Photos from Strategy Forum on EUSBSR Flickr account

More than 100 photos from the EUSBSR Strategy Forum held in Stockholm 8-9 November 2016 have been uploaded on the EUSBSR Flickr account.

The photos on Flickr can be used by others in a non-commercial EUSBSR context as long as the photographer is accredited. Photographer's name is mentioned under each photo.

All available documentation from speeches and presentations to videos and photos from the Strategy Forum have been collected to the event website. More video material will be published later on. There is also a possibility to buy photos that are not yet available for public reposting from the photographer Melker Dahlstrand.

For more information about using the Flickr photos, contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

INTERACT has published a video about EU Macro-regional Strategies and Transnational Cooperation Programmes illustrating the main differences between them. At the same time, it highlights that they are both working on common issues for the territory and supporting cooperation.

Baltic Funding Portal published!

A new tool for searching funding for projects in the Baltic Sea Region has been developed by INTERACT and Swedish Institute. Baltic Funding Portal is an inventory of more than 300 funding instruments making cooperation possible in the Baltic Sea Region.

The Baltic Funding inventory includes more than 300 funding instruments. They cover public and private funding sources from all Baltic Sea countries (Germany, Poland, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia), including the non-EU countries such as Norway and Russia. In addition, EU-wide funding programmes are included.

The added value of Baltic Funding Portal is that it presents many funding instruments for the first time in English language. More detailed information is available in the original language and on the original web-sites of the instruments.

Test Baltic Funding Portal and find the funding for your next cooperation project! And don't forget to use KEEP database to see what kind of projects have already been funded and implemented.

Joint statement by Ministers of Research and Innovation of EUSDR

The 5th Annual Forum of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR) was organised in Bratislava on 3-4 November. During the Forum the Ministers responsible for Research and Innovation of the participating countries of the Strategy met and agreed on a joint statement.

In the statement the Ministers express their commitment to continue providing political support to the Research and Innovation activities carried out at national and regional level. They also emphasize the importance of the alignment of funding to the activities from all relevant sources.

Northern Dimension Partnership in Public Health and Social Well-being (NDPHS) as EUSBSR Policy Area Health coordinator organized a seminar as part of the EUSBSR Strategy Forum programme on population health vis-a-vis economic prosperity in the Baltic Sea Region.

The title for the seminar was: "Wealthier and healthier in the decades to come, or just the opposite?" The main question discussed was whether the positive trend of populations in the Baltic Sea Region becoming healthier and wealthier can continue - or whether the new challenges that the societies face will have an impact on the trend. The topic was discussed with three renowned experts.

Read the presentations and conclusions of the seminar on NDPHS' website.

The keynote speeches by EU Commissioner Corina Cretu, Prime Ministers Stefan Löfven and Juha Sipilä in the opening session of the 7th Strategy Forum of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region can be read online.